iNTRODUCTIONOn February 13th 1942, my father escaped from Singapore during the night, before the surrender on February 15th and now, in 2025, we're following in his footsteps. February 13th was called "Black Friday" by the British High Command as it was the day they finally realised that the battle for Singapore would be lost to the Japanese. History tells an interesting story about the fall of Singapore when 130,000 British and Commonwealth troops were beaten by 60,000 Japanese troops. My November 11th 2024 Blog on this page tells his story.  April 28th: LH915 to FRAnkfurt for LH780 to SINgaporeOur VIP Connections Travel transfer picked us up at 1030 for our journey to LHR T2 and driver Carl dropped us off at about 1300 and we were soon checked in and through formalities and into the Lufthansa lounge. The lounge wasn't that good for Yolande as there was little provision for GF food. LH915 took off half an hour late but time was made up on the way to Frankfurt. The crew were friendly but Lufthansa had made a mess of the special meal requests for Yolande which would be a recurring theme on both outward and homeward 12hr B747-400 flights. In Frankfurt it took us half an hour to get to Gate Z58 for our B747-400 direct to Singapore. I was disappointed with Lufthansa as one of the main reasons we chose these flights was to experience the newish B747-8 but sadly for operational requirements our aircraft was replaced by an elderly B747-400. We sat on the upper deck for the 12.5 hour long haul sector and for much of the flight the aircraft rattled its way over Central Asia and India. Once again, Lufthansa failed to provide appropriate special meals for Yolande. Having spent so much time pre-Covid using Emirates, Garuda Indonesia and Qatar Airways, the Lufthansa in-flight experience was quite poor and akin to flights we'd made many many years ago. The fare however was 50% of what Qatar quoted us so we opted for it as a cost saving exercise. april 29th: Arrive sINGAPOREThe final two hours of the flight were fairly calm and we ate breakfast which was served with good coffee and landed more or less on time at 1625 for the long walk to Arrivals/Immigration. We'd filled in our SGAC online immigration forms at home so we passed straight through immigration to meet our bags arriving as we got there. We passed through the Green Lane to meet our Lufthansa arranged hotel transfer and the driver took us to our hotel for the next four nights. The vehicle was tacky to say the least but we arrived at the hotel around 1800 and after a rapid check in we were soon up in the Executive Lounge for a Gin & Tonic followed by a glass of very pleasant Chilean red wine. The lounge stopped serving complimentary drinks at 1830 so we went to our Room 908 where our bags were already there and waiting for us. As we were on a full board package we dined in and really had food however, the choices for Yolande were quite limited....... Overnight: Novotel Singapore on Stephens Road April 30th: Singapore sightseeing walk - 10km Our plans for the morning, after breakfast were to visit the Botanical Gardens and the Singapore Orchid Gardens, followed by a visit to the Kranji War Memorial using the MRT. Breakfast was fairly adequate and our walk to the Botanical Gardens was along Upper Stephens Road before turning left along Dalvey Road which was, in effect, a Millionaire's Road of desirable properties. The entrance fee to the National Orchid Gardens was S$3 each but it's such a special place to visit with orchids of all colours and sizes. The site houses a collection of more than 1,000 species with different environments for each group of orchids. We then walked to the MRT station but stopped for a coffee on the way. Staff at the MRT station were very helpful and advised against the 3-day Tourist MRT pass so we decided to simply purchase one-way tickets as we needed them. We walked to the Kranji War Memorial from Kranji MRT and it was about 10-15 minutes each way. The War Memorial was a peaceful and very well maintained site to commemorate those lost in the area during WW2. The memorial stands over the graves of more than 4,000 Allied servicemen whilst the pillars list the names of 24,000 others whose bodies were not found. Back on the MRT we alighted at Newton for a simple lunch at the Newton Food Centre and then walked back to the hotel arriving there at about 1600 with 10km recorded walking during the day. The Newton Food Centre was much better in the days when we lived here but it provided a simple meal of chicken satay for us before we walked back to the hotel. We enjoyed the Executive Lounge again before before dining in the hotel restaurant but the size of the lounge was woefully small really so it suffered from overcrowding this evening. Overnight: Novotel Singapore on Stephens Road SINGAPORE ORCHID GARDENKRANJI WAR MEMORIALmay 1st: SingaporeOur 0930 Grab picked us up for our visit to the Changi Chapel and Museum with pre-purchased tickets. The newly revamped Changi Chapel and Museum (CCM) featured new content and artefacts presented in an intimate and engaging format to tell the story of the prisoners of war and civilians interned in Changi Prison Camp during the Japanese Occupation. Replicas of the famous Changi Murals can be seen in the museum. The museum’s narrative is centred on remembrance and reflection, encouraging visitors to contemplate both the hardships that the internees underwent, as well as their courage and resilience in the face of difficulties. In the 1920s, the Changi area was just a small village with a police station, a couple of bungalows and oddly enough, a small Japanese Hotel which offered the services of prostitutes. As far back as 1604, Changi was originally referred to as Tanjong Rusa, becoming known as Tanjong Changi in the early 1800s and later just ‘Changi’. The name itself most likely derived from the Chengai tree; an especially tall tree which was indigenous to the area. Leaving the museum we caught the No. 2 bus into Changi Village where we'd planned on lunch so after a walk around the ferry area we had a coffee in the Village Hotel and used another Grab to the YMCA on Orchard Road which was where Dad had stayed in February 1942 before he left Singapore. From the YMCA we walked to the Funan Mall to buy a charging lead for my laptop as mine must have been left at home. From there we walked over Fort Canning Park to the Battlebox to use our free but online ordered tickets. Raffles built his bungalow here but in 1859, it was replaced by a military base and renamed Fort Canning. The park features very old and quite majestic trees with Singapore's most diverse spice garden at this hilltop park full of history and heritage. Built in 1936 and completed in 1939, the Battlebox served as the bombproof command headquarters for the defending Allied forces against the invading Japanese army in the final days of the Malayan Campaign (8 Dec 1941 — 15 Feb 1942). It was here that Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival and 11 other commanders made the decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese, resulting in possibly the greatest defeat of a British army ever in battle and the beginning of 3 ½ years of the Japanese Occupation of Singapore. Dad's evacuation order dated February 13th 1942 would have been approved at this site in the days just prior to the surrender which was on February 15th 1942. Leaving Fort Canning Park we took a taxi back to the hotel. When we lived in Singapore in 1978/1979 we often visited Pete's Place (in the Grand Hyatt Hotel) for Italian food so we headed there for dinner. We used Grab transfers both ways because of the rain which was most common during the early evenings on most nights. I didn't think Pete's Place was as good as it used to be...... I realised the charging lead I'd purchased didn't actually work so we'd go back to the Funan Mall the following morning. Overnight: Novotel Singapore on Stephens Road changi chapel & museumthe battlebox bunkermay 2nd: singaporeDisrupted sleep patterns were still happening after our long flight here but each night it is getting better. I've often thought that it can take up to a week to recover from a long (12hr +) overnight flight. Breakfasts here are quite adequate and over breakfast we agreed our morning plan of what we'd do which would be to take a Grab to the Marina Bay Barrage, walk to Funan Mall before visiting Chinatown. The walk up alongside Marina Bay was hot and sweaty to say the least. Back at the Funan Mall we found a Dell shop where the staff sold us exactly what we needed. We received a full refund for the lead which hadn't worked from the shop nearby where we'd purchased it. A twenty minute walk along South Bridge Road took us into Chinatown which wasn't too busy and we visited the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum (Completed in 2007 at a cost of S$53 million) which was very grand inside but we didn't notice the sacred tooth relic of the Buddha. The nearby Sri Mariamman Temple established in 1827 was as colourful as I can remember it over many years and across the road from it there were some great street paintings of how life in Singapore would have been many years ago. Leaving Chinatown we walked to the fabulous Lau Pa Sat Hawker Festival Market, one of our favourite places in Singapore. Lau Pa Sat is located in the heart of the banking district and this hawker centre features Victorian cast-iron architecture with a wide range of food stalls. Being lunchtime it was quite crowded and whilst I found a table, Yolande went off and returned with two trays of really good Indian food which was very cost effective. Considered a historic building, this market-turned-food-centre is a must-visit whenever we’re in the CBD area. Aside from its stunning architecture, this hawker centre is fully loaded with scrumptious local food. But unlike your typical hawker centre, each stall is clearly labeled with the specialty it serves, from North Indian to Vietnamese. Plus, it’s not just menus that are synonymous with Singapore’s national dishes, it includes other Asian cuisines and Western delights including a Costa Rican favourite, Mamacitas. Come night-time, the Boon Tat Street side of Lau Pa Sat makes way for satay, the perfect spot for after-work nosh. From there we took a taxi back to the hotel for a lazy afternoon. Overnight: Novotel Singapore on Stephens Road marina barrage to china town walk - 7.5kmlau pa sat hawker food centremay 3rd: GA195 to JAKARTA for GA134 to jambi The motor yacht Cecilia with my father on board passed through the Berhala Straights and into the delta of the Batang Hari River which was known as the Djambi River in 1942 and was the Dutch run escape route. The river banks were lined with mangrove swamps in the journey upriver to Jambi. once in Jambi, the Dutch administration transferred them to smaller, flat-bottomed boats upstream to Muaratebo from where trucks transported them to Sawah Lunto and on by train down to Padang. We were awake before our alarms went off so we were down in the lobby by 0600 with Yolande checking us out whilst I booked a Grab for the airport transfer. Checking in for our Garuda Indonesia flights GA195 to Jakarta for the connecting GA134 to Jambi was effortless and we were soon in the SIA Silver Kris lounge to relax until our 0930 flight departure was ready. GA195 was boarding ahead of schedule and we were warmly greeted by name and shown to 6A and 6C. After take off we were served an enjoyable breakfast and landed early into Sukaerno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta. Visas cost us £30 each on arrival which was a surprise and after completing electronic customs declarations we went through security into the domestic terminal and the Garuda Executive Lounge which was comfortable but lacking in appropriate offerings for food and drink. GA134 boarded on time for Jambi and the 1hr 2min flight was adequate and we landed on time. Our luggage arrived and our Aston Hotel transfer service delivered us to the hotel where our room was upgraded to a junior suite which was a pleasant suprise. Dinner was good with our choices of Indonesian food working out well. Overnight: Aston Jambi Hotel TRAVEL DAY; SINGAPORE TO JAMBImay 4th: jambiAfter our first full night sleep after the long flight we woke feeling good and enjoyed a good breakfast. Reception staff arranged for a car and driver for a sightseeing tour which took us to the following:
Muaro Jambi (Indonesian: Candi Muaro Jambi) is a Buddhist temple complex, in Muaro Jambi Regency, Jambi province, Sumatra, Indonesia. It is situated 26 kilometres (16 miles) east from the city of Jambi. The temple complex was built by the Melayu Kingdom, with its surviving temples and other archaeological remains estimated to date from the 7th to 13th century CE. The archaeological site includes eight excavated temple sanctuaries and covers about 12 square kilometres (4.6 sq mi), stretches 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) along the Batang Hari River, 80 menapos or mounds of temple ruins, are not yet restored. It is one of the largest and best-preserved ancient temple complexes in South East Asia. We enjoyed our sightseeing day out and were back at our hotel room by about 1500 for a refreshing Gin & Tonic with the rest of the afternoon at leisure. More good Indonesian food at dinner but it was an early night for me at 2130 after a drop of Talisker Dark Storm. Overnight: Aston Jambi Hotel may 5th: JambiI think we both slept well and we went down for breakfast not long after 0800. The Restaurant Manager Suhendra talked to us at length and was interested in knowing all about our time in Indonesia. Suhendra advised us that local Jambi Batik shops were close by so after breakfast we went out for a short walk. Interestingly the morning markets had set up next to the hotel and were selling all sorts of food items including fresh fish. The Batik shops were next for a few purchases but the shop staff were just so friendly it was an interesting and enjoyable experience in the shops we visited. Back at the hotel we booked a car and driver to take us to the Museum and shopping malls for lunch. The Siginjei Jambi Museum is a museum that stores various collections of historical objects, traditional art objects and a number of other cultural heritage educational installations. It was worth the hour spent viewing the exhibits and I hadn't realised that in ancient times that Jambi was the Indonesian centre for maritime trade with China, India and the Middle East. We enjoyed sushi in the Mall WTC Batanghari and shopped in the supermarket before returning to the hotel for a leisurely afternoon. As usual we were the only diners in the hotel restaurant but enjoyed our last dinner in Jambi. Overnight: Aston Jambi Hotel may 6th: Drive to Muara bungo via MUARA TEBOWe were up by about 0700 to finish our packing and breakfasted at around 0800 before meeting our driver Rendi and leaving the hotel by about 0900. Leaving the sprawled out city of Jambi took about an hour before we were out in the countryside on the road west which loosely followed the Batang Hari River westwards for hours until we finally reached Muara Tebo where Dad had landed after using shallow draft boats from Jambi. Every small village we passed through had elaborately coloured mosques and casual roadblocks where voluntary donations could be left for mosque maintenance. During the drive we passed through a countryside full of palm oil plantations and woud see farmers on the road with their vehices full of palm oil fruit taking them to palm oil processing factories. We also passed a couple of rubber plantations and processing factories but the need for rubber these days is in decline. In Muara Tebo we found the jetty where Dad had probably landed and today there is a ceremonial arch for VIP visitors arriving by river transport. We ate a late lunch on the western outskirts of Muara Tebo in a Masakan Padang restaurant where the table is swamped with a mulitude of all kinds of dishes and rice is served. In simple terms, you choose what you like the look of and just pay for what you've eaten. Our bill for the three of us came to about £10. Continuing on westwards to Muara Bungo we arrived there at about 1700 and found the Amaris Hotel for our overnight stay. The hotel was modern and our room comfortable with good air conditioning. I dined alone in the hotel restaurant as Yolande wasn't feeling well due to a bite on her arm which caused her pain and discomfort. Overnight: Hotel Amaris may 7th: drive to sawalunto: world heritage siteHaving slept reasonably well, driver Rendi arrived late but after loading the car we were on the road northwards towards Sahahlunto on Jl. Lintas Sumatera, the Trans Sumatra Highway. Leaving Muara Bungo we noticed another Eiger Adventure shop but still couldn't find what we were looking for. Small scale farmers had been active collecting date palm fruit and we saw many small vans transporting these to larger date palm processing factories. We were in far more comfort than Dad would have experienced in our air-conditioned vehicle some 80 years later. We passed a few more rubber plantations and one processing factory which had a bright yellow steam roller by the main gate but the factory didn't look very operational. Village after village were passed each with more small mosques than we could count and eventually we stopped at a large service station complex with buses stopped there from afar afield as Medan which is about 1000km away. In the other direction buses were headed for Jakarta which would involve crossing the Sunda Strait between Java and Sumatra. We stopped for a late lunch on the other side of the mountains and then began our descent towards Solok, finally reaching Sawahlunto and our hotel for three nights in a Legacy Room which was quite comfortable. KHAS Ombilin Hotel with it's Dutch Colonial and Minangkabau architectural style is strategically located in the city center of Sawahlunto and right in the Ombilin Coal Mining Heritage area of Sawahlunto. It is close to the office area and historical attractions such as Ombilin Coal Mining Museum, Lubang Mbah Suro Mining Site Museum, Goedang Ransoem Museum, Sawahlunto Railway Museum, and Sawahlunto's cultural centre building. The hotel was built in 1917 to accommodate guests and company officials of the Ombilin Coal Mining Company and has since served as army accommodation and a police station. Enjoying a beer at Rp 150,000 I suggested to the Duty Manager that this was expensive so he reduced the price down to Rp100,000! The hotel is also close to popular natural attractions in Sawahlunto, such as Blue Lake, Kandih Lake, Cemara Peak, Poland Peak and Runciang Rock. Overnight KHAS Ombilin Hotel may 8th: SAWaluntoWe slept well and enjoyed breakfast before heading out into town for an exploratory walk. Our main objective was the old railway station where, in 1942, my Dad took the train to Padang with other soldiers with whom he'd traveled from Singapore with. The Sawahlunto Rail Museum is a former station built by the Dutch Colonial Government in 1894 to exploit coal extraction from the area for transportation to Holland via the Port of Padang which was then known as Emma Haven. The museum showcases a variety of exhibits including modes, photographs and other items of interest. In the Engine Shed was an old steam engine of German origin and a newer diesel engine. The museum is definitely worth a visit. The Railway Museum is there to explain the history of the trains in West Sumatra. The development of the railway from Sawahlunto to Padang began on July 6th, 1889. The purpose of the development was to effectively transport coal from Sawahlunto to Emmahaven seaport, now called the Teluk Bayur seaport. The railway started its development in 1889 up to 1894, connecting Sawahlunto, Muaro Kalaban, Pulau Aie, Padang Panjang, Bukittinggi, Solok and Padang. But, due to the declining activities in the coal mining industry since the early 2,000s, the train to Sawahlunto ceased operation. In 2005, the local government and the train company agreed to establish a railway museum. After buying our tickets we were shown around the complex by a member of staff whose English language was very good. We enjoyed the Rail Museum visit before continuing our walk around Sawahlunto and resting in Diana's Cake Shop which was an interesting experience as everyone who came in said hello and waved as they sped off on their motorbikes after buying cakes. Then it was back to the hotel to cool off in our room and think about lunch which, as it turned out, was very disappointing. Across the road from our hotel, the town's Cultural Center Building was once called the Rumah Bola, or Bowling House as it used to be a place for bowling and play pool during the Dutch era. Built-in 1910, the other name for the building was the "Gluck Auf" or the Societeit. It was a centre for Dutch workers for their leisure activities after a long day working the coal mines but now lies in a sad condition of disrepair. An afternoon walk found us entrapped in the Vita Mart store for almost an hour which was a bit tedious because of very heavy rain which I'd not seen for many years. Eventually, a bread delivery van driver gave us a lift back to the hotel. Dinner was a bit more to our liking in the evening with our Sate Ayam being served with Nasih Putih instead of the dreaded Lompok lumps of cold congealed rice. Overnight KHAS Ombilin Hotel may 9th: sawAHluntoAfter a good night's sleep our 0800 breakfast was served in our room becaue of too few overnight guests to warrant the hotel breakfast buffet being set up. At least the Nasi Goreng was served hot which I'd asked for. A hotel car took us to the longest railway tunnel in Sumatra at the southern end of Sawahlunto and is 828m in length and which Dad had passed through when he left here for Padang. After seeing the tunnel our car dropped us off at the Goedang Ransoem Museum, the Mining Central Kitchen dating back to 1918. Once the heart of this historic mining town, this impressive and well maintained complex once fed over 7000 coal miners and their families three times a day. We both enjoyed our visit and then walked back to the hotel. Overnight KHAS Ombilin Hotel may 10th: drive to bukittinggi & the minang highlandsJaka from the Padi Ecolodge arrived for our 0900 departure from Sawahlunto and we're ready to move on having visited the routes and places where Dad spent time on his escape from Singapore. From Sawahlunto our first objective on the road to Bukittinggi would be the Istano Basa Pagaruyung, the istana (royal palace, of the former Pagaruyung Kingdom) is located in the Tanjung Emas subdistrict just south of Batusangkar. This first part of the day's journey was very interesting with lots of agricutural activity in the rice padi fields and giant water wheels impressively irrigated the fields from the river. We stopped by one such giant water wheel and even saw two groups of men panning for gold! North of Batusangkar was a real treat waiting for us which we'd not expected although we knew such activities existed. Bull racing and the opening day of the season was such an amazing experience to witness and we stayed about an hour with Yolande getting spashed by bulls racing too close to the raised embankment we were watching from. This was an amazing photographic opportunity for me! Continuing on we reached the Padi Ecolodge at about 1600 and were soon settled into our balcony room overlooking rice padi field which were about to be harvested. The room was spacious and comfortable. We dined in and were impressed that staff could understand about GF dietry requirements. There was no room airconditioning but two fans kept us cool. Overnight Padi Eco Lodge NOTE: Bukittinggi - meaning High Hill - is one of the most attractive towns in Sumatra with many places of interest in the immediate vicinity. The town is situated at 1000m, encircled by volcanoes with a cool and enjoyable climate. LIke the Minang people in the surrounding areas, the inhabitants of Bukittinggi are friendly and welcoming. may 11th: bukitinnggi - maninjau lake TOURApart from its unique culture, the Minangkabau region is a picturesque area with mountains, hills, canyons, and lakes scattered throughout. Our Maninjau Lake tour provided us an opportunity to experience the stunning landscapes of the region. Our first stop in the morning was the Sianok Valley and Jaka drove us up to a spectacular viewpoint. Continuing on we drove through areas of rice padi fields and into more upland areas, eventually reaching 1250m on the Maninaju Lake crater rim. Along the crater rim were several strawberry plantations and coffee was also growing there. We visited an area of sugar plantations and observed the process of brown sugar-making which was very interesting. Neither of us had ever seen this before so it really was interesting and we made a purchase to take home. Continuing on, our journey was brought abruptly to a halt because the road was closed for a wedding procession. We jumped out and observed these colourful proceedings which were a pleasure to watch and the people greeted us warmly. Some of them were more interested in taking our photographs than that of the wedding proceedings and accompanying dancing and music routines. We were even invited into the wedding ceremony but didn't have time for this. Sadly the panoramic view of Maninjau Lake from the top of Puncak Lawang was obscured by rain and mist but we were soon down at the Bagoes Cafe on the shores of the lake for lunch. It was probably our best meal to date this trip, in Indonesia: Veggie Curry and rice with a piece of chicken for me as well. We both had fruit juice drinks and I finished off with a fantastic banana pancake as I didn't think I was going to get any birthday cake today! We watched a fisherman closeby who smiled as I took photographs. Our total lunch bill came to approximately £5.60 - what terrific value! Overnight Padi Eco Lodge may 12th - Minangkabau TOURAfter a reasonable night's sleep and a good breakfast, Jaka collected us at the car park which was a 3 minute walk away through the rice padi fields. We enjoyed a walk through the Bukittinggi Market and then walked over to the Clock Tower which features in amost every photo I've ever seen of Bukittinggi, Leaving Bukittinggi we stopped briefy at the Eiger Adventure shop but there wasn't much in there really as it was one of their smaller stores. West Sumatra is home to the Minangkabau tribe, who practice a matriarchal system. Our tour organized by Jaka provided us a closer look at their way of life. We saw farmers working in rice paddies throughout the day and stopped to see local weavers making Sonket fabrics which was interesting and highly intricate production of wedding dress materials. Continuing on to Padang Panjang we stopped for a coffee before heading east aongside the long abandoned railway line from Sawahlunto to Padang, which my father had used in 1942. Lake Singkarak came into view but we turned off down a minor road to Kamuang Minang Nagari Sunpu for a walk through this ancient Minang settlement. Some of the buildings were well preserved but others were rather dilapadated and Jaka advised that the old ways of life and traditiona habitations were fast disappearing sadly. Back in the car and returning westwards to Padang Panjang, we stopped several times to photograph the spectacular scenery with colourful rice paddies as far as we could see. We stopped at a Nasi Padang restaurant for a wonderul lunch which for the thre of us cost approximatey £ 6.80 - it was great to see Yolande really tucking in! The food was amazing! We were back at the Padi Ecolodge by about 1600 and enjoyed a Gin & Tonic before dinner. We dined in that evening and had a local Chicken Curry which I thought was great! After dinner back in the room, the usual Uno and nightcaps before lights out to the accompaniment of our whirring fans! Overnight Padi Eco Lodge may 13th: drive to padangUp and packed for the usual excellent breakfast, paid our bill and checked out to walk over to meet Jaka at the parking area. The farmers who'd been harvesting the rice padi fields brought in a threshing machine so we had entertainment until our last minutes at the Padi Ecolodge. We enjoyed our three nights stay, made more enjoyable by the tours we'd booked with Jaka. Our drive to Padang proved to be very interesting, around the southern slopes of the volcano Mount Singgalang (2877m) with lots of agricutural activity everywhere including huge areas of strawberry plantations up at the pass. Descending from the pass, there were rice mats everwhere in the sun for the rice to dry on including on the roadside Also drying were cinamon sticks so we purchased a bundle. For about the last hour, we followed the railway into Padang which in 1942 brought Dad into Padang from Sawahlunto. Our stay in the Minang Highlands had been very enjoyable. We arrived at the Mercure Padang around 1230 and were allocated Room 602 which was quite spacious and well equipped. Then it was time for lunch and we both ordered just one course but these were separated by over half an hour so my Club Sandwhich had long since disappeared by the time Yolande's Corn Soup arrived which she very much enjoyed. I thought I'd booked an ocean view room thinking our Junior Suite woud face the sea but this wasn't the case. I enjoyed a Bir Bintang whilst Yolande ordered a Balinese Red Wine for half the price of anything foreign. There was even an offer to purchase two and receive a bottle of Balinese Sparkling wine. Then it was back to the room for a leisurely afternoon. For some reason I wasn't feeling that great so had an early night. Overnight: Mercure Hotel may 14th: padangI woke after a long night's sleep (16hrs!) feeling much better and we enjoyed a good breakfast. Today we decided to have an easy day with visits in the morning to the Eiger Adventure Shop and the Grand Mosque. We hired a Bluebird Taxi for two hours to achieve these two visits and were back at the hotel for lunch. After lunch we went for a walk along the seafront looking out at the Indian Ocean and shopped for a few items we'd been looking for before going back to our hotel. For dinner, we dined outside at the swimming pool area and had a pleasant evening after been told we were having a complimentary room upgrade to one with a full ocean view. The staff at the Mercure were all very friendly and helpful throughout our stay. Overnight: Mercure Hotel may 15th: padangWe'd booked a car and driver for 0900 to tour the WW2 sites used by my Dad and have a good look around Padang. I was pleased to see a hotel car and driver arrive for us and the driver, Apridho, spoke very good English and was really helpful with our tour. Firstly we headed south to the Teluk Bayur Photo Spot where we could look back at the port where Dad had sailed to Colombo from although I'm sure in 1942, the port would have been tiny to what it is today. The view over to the Port of Teluk Bayar were good and we watched the pilot boat go alongside a small container vessel before two tugs assisted it to berth. Back in 1942, the port was called Emma Haven. On the way back into Padang we stopped several times to look at the views over a beautiful blue sea. The Padang Creek was interesting with some old local cargo vessels alongside and after walking over the main bridge we drove down to look at these vessels which trade all across the Indonesian Archipelego without so much as a radar on board to help with their navigation. Chinatown was next with a coffee break at the Kopigo Cafe which was located in an interesting old building dating back to who knows when but the staff had no idea when it had been built. We visited the colourful and ornate Padang See Hin Kiong Chinese Temple before stopping at a traditional type of Chinese store to buy some Bir Bintang. On the edge of Chinatown was the Station Pulau Au Aie where Dad had arrived from Sawahlunto in 1942. The line no longer goes as far as Sawahlunto but just serves a more local area and the international airport. Dad was required to stay in Padang for a while before he was allowed to board the Tinombo for Colombo - he remained in India until the end of the war I believe. Lunch was next to Padang's best Nasi Padang restaurant, Ruma Makan Lamun Ombak. This was a great experience and we had Apridho join us which he thanked us for. We enjoyed the busy and noisy restaurant which was amost full to capacity. What we ate worked out at about £13 for the three of us. After lunch we popped back to the Eiger Adventure shop to buy a new kitbag for Harri and then drove over to the Padang Museum. The museum was small but interesting and we returned to the hotel from there as we were wilting fast! Dinner by the pool with the complimentary bottle of sparkling thanks to Yolande purchasing two bottles of red previously. Bali wines are very drinkable by the poolside! Overnight: Mercure Hotel may 16th: padangWe'd agreed to have a leisurely day today which is exactly what we achieved and as it happened it rained nearly all day. After breakfast Yolande read for the morning whilst I typed up the blog and edited images. We had drinks in our room before going down for lunch by the pool. We'd met the Marketing Manager Risma who was friendly and charming and helped me with a few questions I was asking. After lunch I helped her with some photography for a new room layout she was trying to promote. Our afternoon was a lazy one back in our Room 518. Dinner this evenening was the Poolside BBQ and Risma had reserved a table for us. Yolande still had supplies of red wine from the hotel Wine Special Offer. The food was really good but there weren't many diners considering the amount of food available. It was very well done! Overnight: Mercure Hotel may 17th: padangAfter a good night's sleep we enjoyed breakfast and Driver Apridho took us on a 3hr morning tour of two markets, the Chinatown Kopigo Cafe for morning coffee and the Telok Bayur fishing boat harbour which was very colourful. Heading back into town we looked at the old cargo vessels in Padang Creek, visited a coffee store but they'd run out of coffee beans. At a railway crossing we stopped to let the train to Pariaman go by and returned to the hotel for lunch by the pool. An admin. afternoon to organise our Singapore visas, update the blog and save images to the laptop. We enjoyed our last poolside dinner which was Pasta Carbonara but because we supplied the GF pasta we weren't charged at all, or for my Banana Split which only had four tiny slices of banana so a cheap dinner with our compimentary Moscato de Bali 2018 which was enjoyable. Overnight: Mercure Hotel may 18th: GA149 to jakarta for ga836 to singaporeI was downstairs early to complete some more photography for Risma before Yolande and I had our last breakfast there. Driver Apridho was ready before our scheduled 0900 airport transfer so we were out at the airport early and had to wait until 1000 to check in. The lounge was basic so we went down to Gate 1 via a shop to buy some coffee beans and Starbucks for a coffee. We boarded early for the uneventful flight to Jakarta where there was only enough time for a couple of glasses of another very enjoyable Bali red wine, Two Islands, before we realised Jakarta was on a different time zone to Padang and made a dash for Gate 10. We were offered champagne before takeoff and throughout the flight to Singapore although Yolande switched to the Two Islands red. We'd completed online immigration for Singapore and with our bags arriving fast, we changed money and got a Grab to our hotel, the Novotel on Stephens. We'd missed out on the lounge Happy Hour so had a light meal and returned to Room 909. Overnight: Novotel Singapore on Stephens Road may 19th: singaporeWe'd both slept well and enjoyed bacon sandwiches for breakfast before getting a Grab into town. Our morning was in and around Orchard Road and was fairly leisurely with a few purchases at CK Tangs and then looked at the colourful and traditional properties on Emerald Hill Road before lunch and heading back to the hotel by about 1400. With the rest of the afternoon at leisure we went up to the lounge where Yolande read and I edited photos. Not many images taken today, only of Emerald Hill Road. Happy Hour was again enjoyed between 1700 and 1830. Our evening treat was at the famous Raffles Hotel in the Tiffin Room, in service since 1892 and which specialises in North Indian cuisine. Leaving the Tiffin Room, the hotel Concierge invited us into the main lobby and reception area which was a stunning area for this luxury hotel. We then walked over to the Merlion, bought two souvenir mugs in Starbucks and got a taxi back to the hotel. Overnight: Novotel Singapore on Stephens Road may 20th: singaporeWe'd planned on a day visit to Batam but scrapped the idea in favour of a lie in and a leisurely breakfast before catching the MRT to Khatib and the shuttle bus to the Bird Paradise. The Bird Paradise used to be in a different location and was known as the Jurong Bird Park. The Bird Paradise was a great morning with lunch in the Penguin Cafe and more to see before we got the MRT back to Orchard and the Outside outdoor shop to look at outdoor equipment. We then walked up Orchard Road and turned right onto Orange Grove Road and Anderson Road to peep into Ardmore Park where we used to live although out apartment block has long been replaced by even higher apartment blocks. A brief siesta in Room 909 and then Happy Hour cocktails in the lounge before a Grab delivered us down to Boat Quay for dinner at the Three Amigos Mexican Restaurant which was really good with a table next to the Singapore River. Margeritas, Nachos and Tacos made for a great final night in Singapore before we walked down to the waterfront and got a taxi back to the hotel. Overnight: Novotel Singapore on Stephens Road may 21st: lh781 to Frankfurt for lh900 to lhrAfter a good night's sleep, I woke around 0500 and completed the LH check in online then fell asleep until after 0700. We breakfasted and sorted out packing before heading out. Our morning visit, by Grab, was to the Former Ford Factory which housed a very good WW2 Singapore museum. The museum was well worth a visit. Occupying the former car factory where in 1942, British forces surrended to the Japanese, this war museum is run by Singapore's National Archives. Then it was the MRT to Bugis for a walk up the iconic Bugis Street, far changed from how it was when we lived here in 1978 - 1980. We bought some gifts to take home before finding Fatty's for lunch which we both enjoyed Wing Seong Fatty's (Albert) Restaurant. Because my navigation was a bit slow, they'd run out of crab for their renowned Chilli Crab but that saved us Singapore $80 and in the end, our total lunch bill was less than that. Fatty's even offered Yolande GF Soy Sauce which rather took us by suprise. We got a Grab from the nearby Albert Court and enjoyed a 2hr leisurely afternoon before checking out at 1600 and moving up to the Executive Lounge for one last Happy Hour where the staff made us feel most welcome. Our final Grab was to the airport at around 1900. Check in to T2 and the Lufthansa desk was effortless and we were soon up in the SIA Silver Kris lounge until boarding time. I'd changed our upper deck seats to 4A/4C so we could disembark quicker in Frankfurt with a relatively short transfer time. may 22nd: arrive lhrIt was a long flight of just over 12hrs overnight flying which I didn't enjoy. Lufthansa again got Yolande's special meal order wrong! We landed more or less on time but our crew had given us the wrong transfer details but we eventually found B27 for the A320 1hr 5mins flight over to LHR T2 with the correct meal for Yolande on board. LHR T2 was slightly slow at the immigration control but once through we didn't have to wait long for our bags and we soon found Carl our driver to take us home to Cardiff.  B747-400: the Queen of the Skies
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2021 OnwardsFollowing on from retirement, more time will be available for hill and mountain walking on a personal basis with friends. 
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